The Fat Controller
The exercise dragged on with not much happening. Eventually ENDEX must have been called, I really can't remember, it was that exciting.The nice chappies from the mobile shower units were set up at the rail yard and by the time we boarded the train we were cleanish.
After a month of disturbed sleep you'd think a sleeper carriage would be just what the doctor ordered. But after a few hours I'd slept enough and was just waiting to get back to camp and have a nice cold beer.
As we crossed the border back into Germany we were shunted into a siding. There was an important train of coal that took priority over us and they needed to change the locomotive.
And then someone, somehow forgot about us. I can just imagine the conversation:
"Hans - I'm sure I've forgotten something."
"Ah well Ludwig I'm sure if it was important you'd remember."
So we got to spend 2 days on a sleeper carriage.
Which was nice.
fired down the range by DC at 5:45 pm
13 Comments:
I'm so so glad I didn't join up.
Mind you it'd have given me a bit of bloggin' material.
Best new found blog in ages.
Ta for't visit n ta for't blog.
Never linked after 1 visit but I'm linkin' you. Fuckin' brilliant mate.
Four Dinners - cheers mate. A bit weird but I've only today tripped across yourself and Bawbags both of which I'm looking forward to reading some more.
and there i was thinking you squaddies were tough! still, 2 days on a train sounds quite idylic!
*reels at the thought of spending two days in a sleeper carriage with soldiers back from manoeuvres with no clean clothes*
To clarify, that's not an "ooh, look at all the soldiers" reel, that's a "someone open a window NOW" reel.
Although I suppose it depends on the soldiers...
So regardless..you got plenty of sleep then. ;)
What's with the theme of you and your mates stinking up trains in Europe? And were you locked in the train? Look, next time you boys get stood up on some siding, you need to have some assertiveness training lessons. I've never had trouble getting military guys to do what I tell them to . . . although that probably has more to do with the high heels and the red lipstick than with the fact that I'm towering over them and planning to disembowel them with a spork. But here's the idea: next time your train gets left in east [bad word deleted], exit the train. Tell whoever appears to be in charge that something is wrong.
Explain what is wrong. Explain what you want done. Heck, this won't work for a bunch of guys. Okay, so get the prettiest one of you to dress up in a skirt and get made up . . . Oh, never mind. You guys are doomed.
Cookie - it wasn't hard just boring, and when there's a beer waiting at the other end....
Katy - we'd kept a clean set of uniform for the trip back. Now you can get back to the other sort of reeling.
Lennie - yes it became something of a competition.
Foilwoman - if we hadn't been miles from anywhere I think someone would have. I think we were all thinking "It's been 5 hours someone's got to be here soon." and "It's been 6 hours now - someone's got to be here soon." Etc, etc.
Ooh, look at all the soldiers...
I knew you wouldn't be smelly because of the nice shower men. Any good books?
I see a royal prince (forget which one) is about to graduate from Sandhurst. Then he will join his regiment (Blues n Royals)and "consideration will be given as to whether he will serve in Iraq"
I can't somehow believe that if he does go, (and he says he wants to) that he'll be doing foot patrols. In the unlikely event that he does go, he will spend his time either locked into his mobile tin can or back in HQ pretending to shuffle papers around.
To be fair to him, I believe that he wants to be as near to a "normal" officer as there is. But can you imagine if he got killed by the Iraqis?
The CO would have to take the gentleman's way out (shoot himself), cos he'd never command anything bigger than a desk again, and the Iraqis would be delerious with joy at having bumped a member of the royal family. It doesn't bear thinking about.
Come to hink of it, the squaddies would be fighting to get into his vehicle; that way they could be sure that would never go into danger!
PI - unfortunately not - had a pack of cards though.
Pete - If he did go to Iraq he wouldn't be the first royal of modern times to deploy to a frontline theatre. Prince Andrew flew combat missions as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands war. As third in line to the thrown I suspect he has much more chance of doing some 'real' service than his older brother does.
The rumor on the web is that the Brits are going to send "thousands" to Afghanistan in the coming months (years?).
So, you never know where he might be going in the future...and oh, by the way, that includes you my friend.
You might get a a little advance notice when they start sending your units off for high altitude training.
Hope you like to climb mountains.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
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